In many manufacturing applications, products, or their parts or components, must be maintained in the proper orientation relative to other products or components during the products"" further processing, and in the products"" final use. This is particularly a concern with products that have an asymmetrical configuration which are intended for incorporation in other assemblies or structures. If improperly oriented, such asymmetrical parts may cause manufacturing defects, assembly errors and, in some instances, potential safety hazards.
Examples of such asymmetrical products include preformed automobile or truck components, including for example, stabilizer bars that have a xe2x80x9cleftxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d orientation. Such auto or truck stabilizer bars typically must be maintained in the correct orientation relative to other similar or cooperating components during their post-forming processing and later end use in a completed auto or truck. It also is important that assembly line factory workers provided with such stabilizing bars can easily identify the correct orientation of the stabilizer bars to ensure their safe and correct installation in the auto or truck chassis assemblies. Other examples of asymmetrical products include door panels or other structural panels that are formed as xe2x80x9cleftxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d sides, as well as machine parts and similar components that are formed with an asymmetrical orientation or configuration for specific applications.
Thus, during the various stages of manufacturing processes employing such asymmetrical parts, it frequently is important to establish and maintain a predetermined spatial orientation for such parts relative to a predetermined pattern or standard. As previously mentioned, the failure to identify and maintain the proper orientation of such products can result in manufacturing errors and assembly mistakes that unnecessarily increase manufacturing and assembly costs. In certain instances, such as with the above-mentioned stabilizer bars, the incorrect installation of the product or component also may create safety hazards for the end user of the completed vehicle.
In one effort to address such concerns in the painting and finishing industry, products are loaded onto racks, hangers or other transport assemblies to move the products through various processing operations, such as paint booths, plating tanks, and the like. The racks or hangers are intended to maintain the components in a consistent orientation relative to a desired, predetermined arrangement or pattern. The spatial orientation of such parts may be relative to a two-dimensional pattern, or to a three dimensional pattern or standard depending on the application.
Thus, it is important that such parts and components are properly loaded on or attached to their carrying racks and hangers in the correct orientation relative to such predetermined patterns. For some products, including stabilizer bars, further secondary operations may be employed to apply identification markings to the products such as paint stripes, identification stickers or tape, UPC symbols, etc. It often is desirable to apply such markings to a specific section or location on the products to provide orientation information to downstream processing operations, installers, and users of the products.
One example of such a component marking operation is used with the above-mentioned auto stabilizer bars. After the bars are manufactured, but prior to installation into a vehicle, the stabilizer bars are mounted on a transport hanger or rack and marked with a paint stripe to provide a reference for the proper orientation of the product during the assembly of the applicable vehicle chassis.
In such applications, as with other complexly shaped products, it can be difficult to determine the proper orientation of asymmetrical stabilizer bars causing frequent errors in mounting the bars onto product hangers or racks. Such errors include a failure to correctly visually ascertain the proper orientation of the stabilizer bar relative to the other bars or to a preestablished standard pattern. As a result, the improperly mounted bars are not properly marked with the paint striping and further can be improperly processed or subject to downstream treatments that are incorrectly applied because the bars are not in the proper orientation. Moreover, the incorrect paint striping of the bars leads to further errors and slow downs during the installation of the bars in autos and trucks.
The invention discussed below addresses the problem of improperly orienting products on a hanger, rack or other transport assemblies during a manufacturing or an assembly processes. The invention provides a verification tool and method for identifying and verifying the correct orientation and arrangement of products, parts or components, including asymmetrical parts or components, relative to a predetermined pattern or standard defined by the verification tool.
The verification tool of the invention provides an efficient, cost effective and easy to operate device and method for quickly determining whether products, or parts or components of products, retained or attached to a hanger, rack, or other transport assembly are properly oriented relative to a predetermined pattern or standard. The verification tool provides both a visual and a physical confirmation of the proper orientation of such products. The tool further provides an immediate visual and physical warning of the improper orientation of one or more of such products, and in one aspect a visual identification of the mis-positioned products. The tool, in addition, effectively provides these functions without the need for complicated mechanical or electronic apparatus and can be operated with a minimal amount of training and instruction.
In one aspect, the verification tool includes a tool body that is movable from a first position to a second position in engagement with products retained on a rack, hanger or other transport assembly. The tool body is provided with sets of opposing pins, walls, segments or similar elements extending from the tool body and defining channels or orientation spaces which conform to a predetermining orientation pattern or standard for the products. The opposing pins or similar elements are sized and disposed to conform the channels or spaces to the products"" outer dimensions and to accommodate the products in the channels or spaces.
The pins or similar elements further may be arranged in any pattern necessary to provide the proper orientation of the products and further may extend from the tool body at variable lengths to establish a pattern suitable to accommodate even very complex, three dimensional product configuration and dimensions. Moreover, the tool body may be provided with a sufficient number of sets of pins or similar elements to correspond to each individual product disposed on a rack, hanger or other transport device.
When the tool is in its first position it can be properly positioned and aligned relative to the products, and when moved to its second, engaged position, the full and complete engagement of the tool with the products provides the above-mentioned visual and physical indication that the products are properly oriented with respect to the predetermined pattern or standard, i.e., all of the products are accommodated within the tool between the pin surfaces or other elements. The pins or elements further are positioned to contact and prevent the movement of the tool to its fully engaged position if one or more products are positioned in an incorrect orientation relative to the pre-determined pattern or standard. Thus, the tool provides similar visual or physical indication that the products are improperly oriented and must be repositioned as established by the inability of the user to move the tool to its second, fully engaged position.
In another aspect, the tool is provided with an attachment section sized to overlap one or more portions of the hanger or rack holding the products to provide a pivoting connection between the tool and the hanger or rack. The tool, as a result, may be maintained in the proper alignment with the products and may be rotated from its first unengaged position to its second engaged position along that pivoting connection.
In yet another aspect, the tool includes an opening extending across one portion of the tool body to provide a template for the application of a marking or orientation stripe to one or more portions of the products when the tool is in its second, engaged position. The markings are positioned to indicate and identify the products"" proper orientation relative to the predetermined pattern or standard. In another aspect, the verification tool is transparent or partially transparent so that further visual confirmation of the products"" orientation is provided.
The verification tool also provides a method for simultaneously verifying that a number of products, and particularly asymmetrical products, are arranged in a predetermined desired orientation and for concurrently marking the products to identify their proper orientation relative to the predetermined pattern or standard. The method includes the steps of arranging the products on a suitable rack, hanger or transport assembly and engaging the verification tool with the products to confirm that the arrangement of items conforms to the predetermined desired relative orientation. The method further includes the step of marking the products with indicia, such as a paint stripe, while the verification tool is in an engaged position to identify the products"" relative orientation for use in subsequent manufacturing or processing steps.